I had a revelation Christmas Eve. Yes, yes, I know. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It's not that. It was during the 10:30 service, near the end, at the part where the lights go down and we all begin to light individual candles, one by one. For liturgical reasons I’ll spare you at the moment, at this juncture of the service we read a second Gospel lesson, here from the first chapter of John’s gospel. It fits here in a way, with all the talk of light shining in the darkness.

It's a new year, a new semester, and a new ritual season for most of our faith and ethical traditions. Rather than posting familiar recaps from 2013 or providing the same old list of resolutions for 2014, I want to equip you with some words that have helped me begin new chapters in the past.

May these words be fruitful to you as you begin a new season of work on your preaching, prayer, pastoral care, public ministry, liturgical design, schoolwork, writing, clinical visitations, or any of the other …

I admire people who run marathons, but have never been so inclined myself. A few times I have participated in 5Ks in which some of the participants have run the entire distance, but I have limited my own running to distances approximating 50 yards. Nonetheless, I do read and listen, and have seen the testimonies of marathoners that one typically “hits the wall” at about 20 miles, feeling totally spent and worn down. However, the further testimony is that if one persists …

Because many congregations need to approve the application at a January annual meeting, the site application deadline is January 31, 2014. However, we are happy to receive applications at any time – the earlier the better!

Teaching Congregations FE 4021 grades have now been submitted. If you have not submitted Student and Mentor Pastor Reflection Questions for this semester, please give some attention to these details as soon as possible. You may find copies of all materials on the FE 4021 coursepage.

If your curriculum requires that you sign up for Teaching Congregations in Spring 2014, please don't forget to register for FE 4022. If you need to switch placements, or if you have questions about the new curriculum, …

In May 2014, Concordia College is hosting a 21-day Justice Journey to Nicaragua during which students will learn and work alongside the award-winning non-profit Lutheran World Relief. The program will begin with 3 days of language learning and group building at Concordia Language Villages. Students will then experience day visits to cocoa, coffee, and other working cooperatives; service-learning opportunities; homestays with eco-tourism emphases; guided reflections on poverty, sustainability, and …

A Boundaries Workshop is required of every student in each degree program. Luther Seminary offers several Boundaries Workshops each year. You can choose the Boundaries Workshop that best fits your schedule. Every workshop is held on-campus at Luther Seminary. There is no cost for the workshop. All of these workshops are open to students in any degree program.